Thursday, 3 February 2011

Soon after we got our first black and white TV in 1967 I remember seeing a Karmann built BMW 2000 CS on a report from a motor show, possibly Geneva, thinking that was one cool futuristic car, I must have been 8 at the time.

The next time I remember seeing a BMW Coupe was on the cover of one of the earliest copies of Motor Sport I bought in the summer of 1973, it was a white works CSL being yomped through the Eifel Forest on the Nurburgring by Hans Joachim Stuck Jr, the magazine must have been a sell out because the following year a near identical picture appeared on the cover Motor Sport from the 1974 6 hour race at the Nurburgring this time with Hans driving a black works CSL.

In 1968 the 2 litre Karmann built BMW Coupé's evolved into the BMW 2800 CS based on the E9 platform, unfortunately ditching the very cool faired in headlights lights for the familiar US spec twin round headlights.

BMW was thought stand for British Motor Works in the USA around the time this car was built, BMW engaged in a works backed US Motorsports programme using the 'Batmobile CSLs' to correct that perception, to Bavarian Motor Works, in 1975.

In 1971 the E9 platform was fitted with a 3 litre / 183 cui 6 cylinder motor which when equipped with twin carburettors produced 180 hp.

This vehicle, according to the registration plates, was first registered in London around 1973/4.

I never did get what performance cars and automatics were all about, which is probably why I never became a auto marketing executive, but 30 plus years on an 'automatic' badge shows us the relative aspirations of the original owner and utilitarianism of the time when the car was manufactured.

There is something about vehicles designed around a simple horizontal midriff I find extremely alluring.

IMHO one of the few cars that looks as good in standard street form as in fully equipped racing form.

Like to thank every one who pops into 'Getting a lil' psycho on tyres' at some point during the night this blog had it's 10,000th page hit not exactly close to the 10 billion hits achieved by Apple Store but if you'd asked me if this was possible a year ago I would have wondered what on earth you were talking about, thanks again.

Hope you have enjoyed today's Bayerische Motoren Werke edition of 'Gettin a lil psycho on tyres and that you'll join me again tomorrow for Ferrari Friday in the Bonham's auction house for a look at a vehicle once owned by a dreamer who imagined all the people living in the world as one. Don't forget to come back now !

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About off side front Tyre

The first race I attended was at Ndola in Zambia where Mum's boss raced a Mini.
I was taken to The Race of Champions '73 - '75, and in ‘76 to the last GP on the Nordschliefe.
A succession of cheap cars allowed me to head for the Silverstone 6 hour races '78 - '92, Le Mans and the British/European GPs '79 - '83.
In ‘85 a buddy Sven phoned up and asked me to crew for his #44 Ray's Toys Capri in the Willhire 24 hours, I spent the weekend lugging jerry cans and holding a fire extinguisher during pit stops.
By ‘87 Sven was clocking up wins in the Alfa Sud series 1st in a 33, destroyed at Castle Combe, and later in a Sud .
In 1990 I went racing in a 2CV 'LYLLYK' highlighted by the Mondello Park 24 hours.
From ‘92 to ‘03 I lost track of racing until blogs on yahoo sports by Jerry Bonkowski, awakened a passion for NASCAR.
Thanks to Rowdy.com I went to the April ’09 Arron's 499 making a 7000 mile round trip, quite a contrast from the BTCC at Brands Hatch .